This section is to 'show and tell' about any customizing or re-modeling you have done (or are doing) to a Heng Long tank.
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This section is for posting a build log of your Heng Long tank.
Questions relating to issues you are having with your tank(s) should be posted in the General Questions forum here: viewforum.php?f=14
Im looking forward to giving it a go too mate.
As you make it look easy with so much practice, Im going to try it on a test piece first, just to get the wiping off bit sorted before I go bananas on the tank!
Raminator wrote:Love to see it all in one colour Herman, I reckon it makes all the details pop just a little bit more. You did well with those track holders, they'll really look the part loaded up with spare links and chains.
Cheers Mr Ram, once the chains pins and tracks are placed they should look good enough.
The primer does scream progress, and its quite an alluring smell too
Minor progress
Got the turret mounted spare track hangers on.
Same method as the hull ones but slight angled to suit the slope of the armour.
The period pictures and current pictures show a pair of C shaped hangers on the rear of the sides with simple welded hooks on both front sections.
The hooks I used cut bits of paper clip material, superglued into drilled holes.
The detail of weld around them will be lost in the scale so no point trying to be smart
111 had an ersatz debris guard over the mantlet which sat further forward of the usual mounting points,
I made this from brass and used cannibalised slices of the HL plastic one to assist with securing it to the mantlet mount.
Well that’s the plan anyway!
I did pick up that in my haste I missed the loaders hatch handle is not the same orientation as a late G so that will have to go & be replaced by a made one.
Tomorrow is the rear hull plate including the jerry can baskets and exhaust covers.
Estnische wrote:Hey Herman - I just noticed how wonderfully straight the zimmerit is! Well done.
Thanks mate, although its good quality stuff, its made for Tamiya Panthers, not H/L ones, so does take a bit of fitting to get into the right spots.
Maybe one day they will click that Tamiya Panthers are as rare as the real ones & make the product to suit Taigen/HL ones.!!
have a nice day sir, I look beautiful at your work, you can do it neatly and thoughtfully, we have one thing in common, I also like to replace things with metal with brass or copper solder, and I also do not rely only on fixation with glue, you are a skilled armorer obtained by cutting a can of thinner or acetone, the sheet has a good thickness and is tinned ... I will look)
Thanks for your words of encouragement Mr 88
I try and that’s all anyone can do really.
Brass sure does look good during a build, but gets a bit ostentatious after a while!
I’m working on the options for camo while I do bits on the build, have to get that right or it’s ruined.
Lots of details to like, admire and imitate, there, HB. When I was working on my Tamiya Jagdpanther, I used quite a lot of Schumo bits from Axels. Some are not available, currently, but are worth considering for future adornments.
I've used Axels a lot over the years, until my last order there, where I was charged almost £30 to post featherweight parts worth around £10. Och, well...
Perhaps postage to the 'Land Down Under' (...where men chunder, etc. ) might be looked on more favourably. Or not.
Still, it's well worth having a look.
By the way, the Tamiya zimmerit looks very impressive. I was supplied some with my Tamiya King Tiger, but never used it, as the concensus at the time was that Atak zimmerit is the only must-apply type.
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
Thanks for the kind words Mr 43RR
The land down under is at the added disadvantage of poor exchange rate as well as distance, copped a double whammy
This project is una slow patch just now but will pick up shortly once the finicky stuff is done.
Great to have you looking in
As this is an early-ish G it needs sheet metal guards around the top of the exhaust pipes.
An added detail is that DB also coated the guards with Zimmerit!
I made the guards from Aluminium( that’s said Aloominum to you left hand drivers) formed around a craft knife & trimmed with scissors and a file.
The zimmerit was left out of the Atak set that was supposed to go on the front mudguards, which I only have one remaining of as seen in the post war pictures.
Was enough to do both exhaust guards.
Dipping the zimmerit patch in boiling water then quickly placing over the alloy forms retained the curved shape well.
A wipe of epoxy to secure it and it’s done.
I learned after a previous set to drill the holes before trimming the tags, so this time was a lot easier.
Shot a quick burst of primer inside both then brush painted the exhaust pipes to get them close enough looking as once the guards are placed, painting is almost impossible.
I will mask the pipes when the base & camo goes on .